Founders Future

In this episode of Founders, Future, host Laura Skinner sits down with Dr. Ashley Lerman, a board-certified pediatric dentist and the founder of Firstgrin, a company revolutionizing early childhood oral health care. Dr. Lerman shares her journey from recognizing a major gap in parental education around kids' dental care to building a solution that provides oral care kits and an educational companion app for new and expecting parents.

She discusses the early challenges of messaging and consumer awareness, the surprising virality of her social media content, and how leveraging organic engagement helped her scale without relying on paid ads. The conversation also dives into Firstgrin's B2B expansion, particularly working with insurance providers to make preventive oral care more accessible through family benefits programs.

Laura and Dr. Lerman explore the intersection of health, consumer trust, and brand partnerships, touching on how major toothpaste brands are eager to get into early childhood oral care markets. Dr. Lerman also reflects on her future vision for Firstgrin the challenges of navigating public health messaging, and the potential for scaling through both direct-to-consumer and B2B strategies.

In this episode, Nancy shares her journey from business development coaching to creating a thriving community for fractional executives. We discuss the challenges executives face when transitioning to fractional roles, the importance of differentiation in a competitive market, and how Nancy is helping business leaders productize their expertise for scalable success.

Nancy also unpacks the biggest misconceptions about the fractional executive industry, the strategies she uses to acquire clients, and the impact of AI on productization. We dive deep into her latest initiatives, including Wise AI Product Pros, an innovative approach to leveraging AI for monetization.

In this episode of Founders, Future, we sit down with Aaron, co-founder of Ultraliminal, to explore the journey behind his company’s evolution. Initially focused on helping small businesses improve team communication and delegation, Aaron and his team quickly realized a deeper challenge—many business owners lacked fundamental leadership skills. This led to a strategic pivot toward refining organizational systems, particularly within nonprofits.

Aaron shares how Ultraliminal has successfully tackled the unique obstacles nonprofits face, from limited funding to resistance in adopting new technology. He discusses his company’s approach to scaling through paid ads, cold outreach, and discovery calls, emphasizing the importance of top-of-the-funnel visibility. Throughout the conversation, Aaron offers candid insights on defining a clear business offer, understanding market dynamics, and maintaining patience during growth phases.

Laura and Aaron also dive into the realities of marketing and small business operations, touching on the necessity of strong relationships, self-care, and working with the right people. Aaron’s advice on avoiding unprofessional partnerships and taking the time to nurture meaningful business connections provides valuable wisdom for any entrepreneur.

In this episode of Founders, Future, host Jae Encarnacion sits down with Sarena Brown, founder of Kabob AI, to explore how AI is transforming marketing for SaaS businesses. Sarena shares her journey from running a high-volume content agency to leading demand generation at top SaaS companies—experiences that ultimately inspired her to launch Kabob AI.

She discusses the challenges of finding product-market fit, the evolution of Kabob AI's offerings—from AI-driven content automation to demand generation strategies—and how she balances consulting with productized solutions. Sarena also addresses common misconceptions about AI in marketing, emphasizing that AI isn’t replacing jobs but rather empowering businesses to scale smarter.

The conversation delves into client acquisition, sales processes, and revenue models, highlighting the importance of inbound marketing, personal branding, and leveraging AI-driven efficiencies. Sarena also reveals her upcoming projects, including an AI-powered content engine and a solution tailored for local businesses.

Tune in for insights on navigating early-stage growth, leveraging AI for marketing success, and building a scalable, future-proof business.

In this episode of Founders, Future, host Elliott Boll sits down with Prem Anand, founder of the Trusted Leaders Alliance, to explore his entrepreneurial journey and the insights he’s gained from working with high-profile clients, training luxury service professionals, and now mentoring business leaders.

Prem shares how his extensive experience in personal service and human behavior led him to create a leadership community focused on trust, ethical scaling, and relationship-building. He opens up about the unique challenges of launching a business in an emerging market like India, from navigating pricing sensitivities to building credibility in a new environment.

Throughout the conversation, Prem emphasizes the importance of giving value first, earning trust, and understanding cultural nuances when expanding into different economies. He also discusses the evolving role of AI in business and why human skills—such as communication, leadership, and emotional intelligence—will remain critical in an increasingly digital world.

In this episode of Founders, Future, host Jae Encarnacion sits down with Mer Joyce, the founder and principal of Do Big Good, a pioneering social enterprise that transforms community engagement through human-centered design. Mer shares her journey—from working on President Obama’s 2008 campaign and earning a Fulbright in Morocco to co-designing policies and initiatives that empower communities.

She discusses the evolution of Do Big Good, the challenges of scaling a socially-driven business, and the often-overlooked tools of participatory design. The conversation dives into the realities of securing government and nonprofit contracts, navigating an evolving political landscape, and staying committed to a vision of shared power and equity.

In this episode of Founders, Future, host Jae Encarnacion sits down with Rick Park, founder of Talent Alignment, to explore how HR consulting can be a strategic driver of business success. Rick shares his journey in the industry, from his extensive background in talent management, recruiting, and organizational effectiveness to the founding of Talent Alignment.

He discusses the biggest misconceptions about HR, the challenges of building a consulting firm, and the importance of aligning human resources with a company’s competitive strategy. Rick also highlights his current business model, revenue generation strategies, and the key obstacles he faces in scaling Talent Alignment.

As the conversation unfolds, Rick offers insights on industry trends, including the evolving role of DEI, the rise of fractional HR consulting, and the impact of AI-driven talent assessments. He also provides valuable advice for founders, emphasizing patience, relationship-building, and the power of in-person networking.

In this episode of Founders, Future, host Laura Skinner sits down with Mohamed, the CEO of RTILA, to explore his entrepreneurial journey and the innovative data solutions his company is bringing to the market.

Mohamed shares how his early fascination with digital entrepreneurship led him to build a platform that empowers businesses by scraping, enriching, and structuring data for high-value applications. He discusses the challenges RTILA faced in its go-to-market strategy, including targeting the right audience, optimizing fulfillment, and shifting from consumer-focused users to enterprise clients.

The conversation dives into the importance of organic marketing, the power of data-driven decision-making, and how RTILA is positioning itself for sustainable, scalable growth. Mohamed also reflects on his personal journey—from launching multiple startups as a teenager to navigating the complexities of corporate partnerships and enterprise sales.

In this episode of Founders, Future, host Jae Encarnacion sits down with serial entrepreneur Shawn Khorrami, the founder and CEO of Eplaybooks. With a diverse background spanning law, real estate, and restaurants, Shawn shares how his journey led to the creation of Eplaybooks—a consulting firm that has helped over 1,000 small businesses and 25,000 stores scale their revenue.

Shawn dives into the three core challenges he observed in SMB growth—logistics, over-reliance on new customer acquisition, and sales channel optimization—and how Eplaybooks evolved to address them. He explains his unique, performance-based consulting approach, why he avoids traditional retainers, and how his company operates as a true growth partner for businesses.

The conversation also explores the firm’s revenue model, customer acquisition strategies, and the biggest bottlenecks to scaling Eplaybooks. Shawn reveals his need for more business-minded strategists rather than traditional salespeople to drive meaningful partnerships.

For founders looking to optimize their sales channels and scale smartly, this episode is packed with insights on sustainable growth, conversion challenges, and how to take calculated risks in business.

In this episode of Founders, Future, host Jae Encarnacion sits down with serial entrepreneur Charles Cormier, the mastermind behind TopLeads, Cold Email, and Podpire.com. Charles shares his journey from growing up in Montreal, listening to his father make cold calls, to becoming a digital nomad and AI-powered business leader in Oaxaca, Mexico.

With a passion for lead generation, automation, and AI-driven business scaling, Charles discusses how he juggles multiple ventures through AI integrations, biohacking, and lean operations. He reveals why Podpire—a platform revolutionizing podcast-based lead generation—has become his primary focus and how he’s leveraging podcasting to convert high-value guests into clients.

Charles also dives into his bold goal of speaking with 10,000 founders in 2025, the future of AI in business, and why he believes the next wave of companies will be built with AI agents instead of employees.